The Archbishop of Springfield?

I guess they really can get any guest star they want...

The Archbishop of Canterbury, head of the world's 70 million Anglicans and a self-declared devotee of the U.S. television hit "The Simpsons," could soon be paying Homer, Marge, Bart and Lisa a visit in Springfield.

Producers of the animated comedy have invited Rowan Williams, 54, to take part in an episode after he praised the program for its humor and humility, Britain's Sunday Times newspaper reported.

"We'd love to have him on the show...It's a great thrill that the archbishop is such a fan," executive producer Al Jean said. "In the beginning, some religious groups in the United States disliked the show, so to have such a prominent religious leader defend it is great," he added.

A spokesman for the archbishop said they had not yet received an invitation but that it would certainly be considered...

Williams, enthroned as archbishop last year and known for having a finger on the pulse of modern life, has called the show "one of the most subtle pieces of propaganda around in the cause of sense, humility and virtue."

In an interview to be broadcast on Britain's ITV network next Sunday, he says of the program: "It's generally on the side of the angels and on the side of sense. It punctures lots of pompous fictions about how the world works."

For those interested in the Religious and moral views presented in The Simpsons I recommend The Gospel According to The Simpsons: The Spiritual Life of the World's Most Animated Family by Mark I. Pinsky